Tagged typical Dutch

Experience the Netherlands like you never experienced it before. Head to the southern regions of the Netherlands in February and celebrate the Maastricht Winter Carnival 2018 with the locals. Go below the rivers and indulge yourself in the Burgundian lifestyle.Read more

Every time I stand here on the Schokkersweg I feel a bit like the statue of a Scheveningen fishers’ wife a couple of blocks further. I always imagine her and the other Scheveningen women standing there looking out on the sea day and night during WWI waiting for their men to come home. The wind in their faces giving freedom to a few hairlocks neatly bundled together under their old Dutch cap, Scheveningen style. But, that altogether is another story which I’ll me glad to tell you another time.

This post is about the herring festival on the 13th of June. Are you planning to visit Vlaggetjesdag – Flag Day- Scheveningen? Here are some practical tips to enjoy the herring event to its fullest.

Directions to Flag Day Scheveningen

Like any other festival Flag Day is well visited. Best to leave the car at home and take boat, bike or public transport or go on foot.

By boat

Canal boat company Willemsvaart takes you in a short boat ride from the city centre of The Hague to Scheveningen. It goes via the Haringkade, a canal that was dug especially for the transport of herring. From there it’s a nice stroll towards the event’s venue.

By tram

Tramline 1 and 9 go from The Hague city centre and Central Station to Scheveningen. Tram 1 has my preference as it leaves you right in the Duinstraat, a 650 meters from my favourite Flag Day starting point: Schokkersweg. HTM, the The Hague tram company also offers services in a historic tram. The blue or yellow tram takes you from Duinstraat or Keizerstraat to the harbour.

In the Herring Tasting Tour on Flag Day Scheveningen you find out which nets are being used for catching herring and other sorts of fish.

Harbour Scheveningen

Schokkersweg is like a viewpoint. It outlooks the inner harbour of Scheveningen and is a good starting point for your visit to the Flag Day open air market. Scheveningen has two inner harbours, which are numbered.

The main activities of Flag Day Scheveningen take place in the inner harbour. The inner harbour consist of two parts. The first part is best known for the presence of Simonis, a very effective working restaurant where fish is served in a simple way. It’s something between a snackbar and a selfservice restaurant. Opposite of Simonis is a large fishers warehouse, the Visafslag, which is where the fish is sorted and auctioned. On the 13th of June, Flag Day, this is one of the most vibrant places. Besides tasting the herring, kibbeling and other raw and fried fish, the display of all the fish is tastefully done and different choirs perform. It’s a lovely sight.

It’s also in this part of the harbour that most of the activities on the water take place. Don’t miss out on Admiraalvaren and the Haringrace, two typical Dutch and traditional herring events.

The second inner harbour is home to the open air market with all the Dutch crafts, traditional and new.

Best Herring of Flag Day Scheveningen

There’s a secret to knowing where to get the best herring on Flag Day. Stalls of Hollandse Nieuwe are everywhere. If you want to know where you can get the best herring, why this fish is called a Hollandse Nieuwe, how it should taste like and if you want to know more all the inside outs of this raw Dutch delicacy, join Verita’s Visit Vlaggetjesdag Herring Tasting Tour & More.